Improvement in circular-knitting machines



WIE. ABEL.

KNIT MITTEN. .N0.174,4l02. laten'ed March 7,1876.

WM, JgENTOR,

.dftorney N. PETERS, PHDTO-L|THOGRAPHE.R. WASHINGTON. D12.

`-N1TED STATES PATENT A OEE-ICE..

WILLIAM E. ABEL, oE'EieIsiroL,I NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ClR'CULR-KNITTING MACHINES.A

Specification formingtpart of Letters Patent No. 124,401, dated March 7, 1876; application filed 'April 1:3, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.- y

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Bristol, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improved Circular-Knitting Machine; and'I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification-- Figure 1 being a central vertical section of the machine, parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 2, an under-side view of one of its parts; Fig. 3, a central vertical section of the same part; Fig. 4, a top view of another part thereof.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

My improvements' are upon circular-knitting machines employingl latch-needles, and adapted to the purpose of knitting goods with two or more colors of yarn or'thread.

For each yarn or thread I employ a set of y needles, alternating in position with the other set or sets of needles, and differing in length therefrom, so that each set of needles hasa separatecam-groove to guide and determine their motions, and one set does not interfere with the other set or sets.

' In the drawings, which represent a knittingmachine for knitting striped goods of two colors of thread or yarn, both sets, a? b, of needles are mounted in the same needle-cylinder A, (or in a cone, as represented, for knitting small tubes, such as mitten-thnmbs,) being of different lengths, as shown -in Fig. 1, and moving, respectively, in two cam-grooves, c d, in the outer revolving cam cylinder yor cone B, which guides and determines the movements of the two sets of needles up and down in their seats. These two sets of needles are arranged one by one in the needle cylinder or cone; and the elevating part f of the upper cam-groove c is located in a position opposite to that of the elevating part g of the lower cam-groove 0l, as shown in Fig. 2. lf more than two sets of alternating needles and of cam-grooves are employed, the elevating-cams are situated at about equal distances apart around the periphery of the cam cylinder or cone. This cylinder or cone may be made of a single casting, and the cam-grooves c d therein may be formed by turning in alathe,except the elevating parts H. ABEL, of-

fg, which may be formed by shaping separate pieces, and attaching them in cavities formed by casting or otherwise in the inner surface of the cylinder or cone, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3.

'lhe thread or yarn /bobbins are mounted on n a bobbin-stand, C, secured to a bow or bent support, D, which is lattached to the top of the cam cylinder or cone B, and revolves with it; and to the inside ofthe bow D are secured the two threadguides vl1,- fi, which, respectively, carry the two threads around and hook them upon the needles as the latter are raised to a position to receive the same by the cams f g; and since the two sets of needles are raised alternately, or on opposite sides of the needle cylinder or cone,` and the threads follow each -other alternately in opposite positions, one thread-guide hooks its thread exclusively on one set of needles, and theother thread-guide hooks its thread exclusively on the other set of needles, whereby the two threads or yarns are caused rto make the alternate rounds of stitches, respectively, thus interlocking the two threads or yarns, and producing the striped goods of two colors.

For varying the length of the stitches, and consequently the closeness or looseness of the work, I employ a head,:F, screwed into the upper end of the needle-cylinder A, and notched in its periphery with notches l l, corresponding in number and positions with the upright grooves or channels'in which the needles slide up and down, so that the needles move in these notches, and regulate the length of stitch-loops by the distance which they draw the threads down into these notches, the parts of the threads between the individuall loops resting on the partitions between the notches of the head. By simply turning the head one way or the other it is elevated or depressed; and since the needles at the termination of their downward movement are at uniform heights, the raising and lowering of this head determines the length of the stitches made.

The knit work, as fast as it is produced, is

drawn down through the middle .of the machine, through the head F, and the needle cylinder or cone A. It is`required to hold this tube of knit work down close to the upper inner edge of the head F in the proper relation to 

